Legendary Album Artwork Designer Storm Thorgerson Has Died

Storm Thorgerson, the legendary designer behind such iconic album covers as Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, and Led Zeppelin’s ‘Houses Of The Holy’, ahs died at the age of 70.

Thorgerson was born in Potters Bar in 1944, and attended school with both Syd Barrett and Roger Waters in Cambridge, and also counted Pink Floyd’s Strat slinger, Dave Gilmour as a childhood friend.

It wasn’t until later in life, that his and his childhood friends’ professional paths would cross. He joined graphic art group, Hipgnosis, and in 1968, Pink Floyd approached them to design the album cover for ‘A Saucerful of Secrets’.

This led to further work with EMI, including covers for T-Rex, 10cc, Paul McCartney, Led Zeppelin, and countless others.

Thorgerson’s primary medium was generally photography, but photography that was produced to defy its realist nature.

As legend has it, his most famous work, ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ was inspired by Pink Floyd’s Richard Wright desire for something different that Storm’s photos- instead wanting ‘…a cool graphic- something smart, tidy, elegant’.

Modern works

His work didn’t end in the ‘60s and ‘70s, however. The name ‘Storm Thorgerson’ was a synonymous with iconic album art in the present musical era as it was during the Hipgnosis years.

His modern work included Biffy Clyro’s striking ‘Puzzle’ (above), Muse’s ‘Absolution’, The Mars Volta’s ‘Deloused In The Comatorium’, The Cranberries’ ‘Bury The Hatchet’, just about every Pink Floyd album, and countless others.

Despite suffering from ill health for many years, his passion for his work never diminished.

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